Traveling crane



Dec. 15, 1936. TH 2,063,909

TRAVEL ING CRANE Filed Jan. 24, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l] l] [I'D I] a? FT F Via as, 73% "Fr/ k HQZW Dec. 15, 1936. B. F. FITCH TRAVEL ING CRANEFiled Jan. 24, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 15, 1936. 1 FIT 2,063,909

TRAVELING CRANE Filed Jan. 24, 1934 5 SheetsSheet 3 grwcz/wtom PatentedDec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE TRAVELING CRANE ApplicationJanuary 24, 1934, Serial No. 708,125

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a traveling crane adapted to lift andtransport demountable automobile bodies with their loads to effect thetransferance between different vehicles or between a vehicle and astation platform or support. The traveling frame of the crane may bemounted to move transversely on a bridge carried by elevated supports ormay be on top of a gantry, as desired. In either case I have providedfour depending cables adapted to be secured at four corners of arectangle to a demountable automobile body, or to a cradle which may beattached to such body, and I provide means by which two of said cablesmay be shifted laterally as a unit with reference to the other two, sothat area served by the cables may be effectively registered with atruck which need not stand in parallel or rightangie relationship to thecrane.

The weaving mechanism just referred to not only enables the crane tooperate effectively for engaging or positioning a body with reference toa truck which stands somewhat askew with reference to the crane, but italso enables me to employ, in the raising mechanism, two drums from eachof which two of the cables may pass, one depending directly to the loadand the other passing laterally and thence over a sheave to the load,since the lateral travel of such cables, as they wind on or off of thedrums, may, if desired, be compensated by operation of the weavingmechanism at the other end to correspondingly position the other twocables. Accordingly, the weaving mechanism is available either to causeskewing of the depending cable reaches to register with thecorrespondingly positioned body, or to prevent the slight skewing whichnaturally results from the use of cables leading directly from the drumsBy reason of this provision, enabling me to have cables dependingdirectly from the drum, I avoid the necessity of guide sheaves for suchcables, simplifying the construction and inducing greater efficiency andless wear on the cables, all of which are objects of this invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a four-cable crane sodesigned that the raising mechanisms will all be located adjacent theregions of support of the crane, thus minimizing the bending moments inthe body of the frame, which must be of considerable horizontal extentto enable the engagement with a large size demountable truck body.

The raising mechanism I have provided, and which is included in thisinvention, is powerful and atthe same time compact, and requirescomparatively small space, so that it may be mounted almost entirelywithin-the confines of the crane frame itself.

While my crane mechanism is adapted for mounting in units shiftable onoverhead trackways, I prefer to employ a gantry on top of which thecrane may travel. My invention has provided a special form of gantrywherein there is a maximum of clearance between the legs, thus reducingthe span of the overhead girders carrying the crane proper. Such gantrymay bridge a high- 4 Way and also rail tracks or station platforms orsupports, to enable the ready transferance of the raised demountablebody.

Another object attained by my invention is the provision of self-lockingraising, trolleying and weaving mechanism, and a similar provision forthe propelling mechanism for the gantry, thus avoiding the necessity forbrakes of any sort.

Still another object is to provide effective Weather protection of thedifferent motors and mechanisms driven thereby, so that the crane issuitable for outdoor use.

Finally, economy in construction is anobject attained by this invention,since the structure is so designed that it can be readily built out ofstandard structural shapes, motors, shafts, gearme, etc.

The details of my invention will-become apparent from the descriptionabout to be given of a preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated in thedrawings hereof.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. l is an end elevation of a gantrycrane embodying my invention and showing a truck with a demountable 3body placed therebeneath; Fig. 2 is a section of my improved crane withthe truck removed, as indicated by 2-2 on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan ofthe top of my crane, showing the frame in dot and dash lines mountedthereon; Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the frame, showing the variousmechanisms placed therein, and with covers partly broken away; Fig. 5is: a longitudinal section through the frame, as indicated by5-5 on Fig.4; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through one of the cable drums, asindicated by ,66 on Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is an elevation ofa bottom corner ofmy gantry crane, showing the means of propelling the crane along itstracks; Fig. 8 is a section through the gantry propelling means, asindicated by 88 on Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevation,illustrating a cover for mechanism on the frame; Figs. 10'and 11arefragmentary sections, showing portions of the mechanism coverings, asindicated by the lines designated I0 and Il on Fig. 4, respectively.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and. 3, my improved crane is embodied in a gantrycomprising two sides 20, and a top portion 2|. The sides are composed ofstructural iron pieces, suitably bound together by angles and gussetplates. In general, a rectangle is formed, comprising a main bottomportion 26, an opposite parallel top portion 28, and sides 21. Internalbraces for this rectangle are provided, as members 30, which projectinwardly from the corners and the center of the sides to be joined bythe gusset plate 33, at their point of intersection. Additional braces32 are provided, non-parallel to the portion 21, meeting it at the topand intersecting the member 26 at the bottom of the gantry. Suitableplates 34 more firmly fasten the members 32 and 27 together. The gantryis movable along a track composed of rails 24. Suitable flanged wheels25, mounted at the corners of the sides, ride on these rails and aredriven, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

At the top of the gantry or other traveling bridge is a traveling frame45, which rides on rails 40, with wheel stops 4| at each end thereof.The rails 40 extend at right angles to the rails 24 at the bottom of thegantry frame. The gantry bridge is rectangular in shape, comprising twolong sides 36, and two shorter sides 31, the rails 40 being mounted onthe sides 36. Included within this top rectangle is the lateral bracingcomprising two long members 38 parallel to the members 36 and spacedtherefrom, and internal bracing 39, both perpendicular to and diagonalwith the long members and secured thereto.

Between the long sides 38 of the lateral bracing and the sides 36 of thetop, are long, narrow open spaces. As will be hereinafter described,this space is to allow the cables, which depend from the frame andsupport the load-engaging cradle, to shift freely as the frame travels.The sides 36 extend beyond the perpendicular sides 20 and reversedbuttresses ifi are fastened thereto and also at the bottom of the gantrysides, to brace the entire structure and at the same time leave thespace between the sides and the top unimpeded.

The frame. 45, which is mounted on the top of the gantry, or on a. cranebridge, is most clearly shown in Fig. 4. A rectangular frame work isformed. comprising two end members 5I (parallel to the sides of thegantry) two side members 52 and four intermediate members 53 and 54parallel with the side members. Between the side members 52 and theadjacent members 53 are wheels 55, supported by bearings on such membersand adapted to ride on the guide rails 40 of the bridge. There are fourof these wheels, one substantially in each corner of the rectangleforming the frame work. Two of these wheels, one on each track 40,furnish the driving means for the frame across the bridge. A motor 56,through suitable worm gearing 51 and bevel gearing 58 drives a shaft 60,extending across the bridge. At each end of the shaft 60, which isjournalled in the frame as at 6 I, are pinions 62. These pinions engagegears 83 on the wheels 55 to drive the wheels as the motor 56 iselectrically excited. To prevent binding, it is desirable to placecoupling 65 in the shaft 60.

To reduce the bending moment set up in the end members 5| by the weightof the cradle and its load, as well as the weight of the mechanism inthe frame, it is desirable to mount cable drums and pulley sheaves asclose to the wheels 55 as possible. Thus, cross members 53 and 54,parallel to the members 52, form a nest in which the various mechanismsof the frame may be placed, including the motor and the gearingnecessary to drive the wheels 55.

My invention utilizes but two drums to drive four cables. These drums 70are driven by an electric motor II, through a shaft l2, and suitableworm reduction gearing and bevelled gearing l3 and I4. These drums, asshown in Fig. 6, are mounted in frames I5. The bevel gear I4 is mountedon the shaft I6, which, in turn, is journalled in the members 75. Keyedon the shaft 16 are pinions ll. An annular flange 19 of each frame 15has on its inward face a toothed surface. Several pinions are journalledin the drum 10, as at BI, and are of such size that the teeth of eachengage the toothed surface of the flange I9, as well as the pinion 71.Thus, a planetary gear system, as shown in dotted lines, (Fig. 5), isformed, which provides an efiectual drive for the drum I0.

Both of the cable drums, as well as the driving means therefor, aremounted in the nesting space formed between one pair of the parallelstructural members 53 and 54. As the gearing I3 and M is substantiallythe same for both drums, it is apparent that the rotative speed of theone will be equal to that of the other. One worm is preferabl-yright-hand and the other left-hand, so that the two drums rotate in thesame direction. By the use of a worm reduction gearing system, it ispossible to have a self-locking drive, which means that a brake isunnecessary to lock the drum when the motor is stopped.

Two cables are mounted on each drum. One of the cables depends directlydownward from the drum to the cradle, and the other cable passeshorizontally over a guide sheave and then downwardly to the cradle. Eachcable is shown as embracing a. sheave on the cradle and then retracingits path upwardly until it is anchored on the frame. By the use of thesheaves on the cradle, a mechanical advantage is set up when the cable90 is either wound onto the drum 70, or unwound therefrom, but ifdesired the cables could be anchored to the cradle.

As the drum I0 is rotated, a guiding sheave I00, journalled on a studrising from one of the frame bars 54, cooperates with an arm IOI pivotedon this stud to direct the movement of the cable 95 either onto or offof the drum, the cable passing between small sheaves I02 and I03 on thearm. The cables 95 cross the bridge to the nesting pocket between theother pair of members 53 and 54, and there pass over sheaves I05, asshown in Fig. 5. After passing over these sheaves, the cables 95 descendto the cradle and there engage as heretofore explained. If they passaround sheaves on the cradle and retrace their direction upwardly, theyare fastened to a movable frame I01, which carries the sheave I05, as atI06.

The sheaves 05 and their supporting frames I01 are adapted to move as aunit with respect to the crane frame. Thus, the frame I07, which notonly carries the sheave I05, but the cable fastening I06, is mounted onsuitable rollers. These rollers are of two kinds; thus, there arerollers I09, mounted to bear against arcuate tracks H0, and rollers II3slightly tapered and adapted to ride on the plate I I 4. The taper ofthese rollers is such that their sides extended would meet at a pointsubstantially underlying the sheave I00 on the opposite side of thebridge. The radius of curvature of the tracks I I0 also centers at apoint underlying the same sheave I00. Thus, when the sheave I05 and itsframe I? are moved. relative to the bridge, there is no change in thelength of the cable 95 lying between the sheave I and the drum I0, and.accordingly the sheave I05 may be readily moved with respect to theframe, without raising or lowering the cradle or changing the elevationof the body supported thereby.

The movable sheaves are adapted to be moved in unison. The two sheaveframes IEI'I are connected by links I20, which, in turn, meet and arepinned at I2I. A threaded member I22 carrie the pin I 2|. This memberi22 is engaged by the threaded rod I24, journalled in the frame of thebridge. Mounted at one end of this rod is the bevelled pinion 925, whichengages a mating pinion I25. This pair of pinions is rotated by themotor ifi'l, acting through suitable worm reduction gearing. Thus, whenthe motor is electrically excited, the rotative motion is transferredthrough the gear train to the threaded member I24. The member I22, beingnon-rotative, is moved along the screw in one direction or the other andmoves the links I20, which, in turn, move the sheave I05. The motor I2!is reversible to permit the sheaves I05 to be moved in either directiondesired along the track I Ill.

The four depending cables 90 and 95 sup-port a cradle I45, which, inturn, supports the demountable body to be moved. Referring to Figs. 1and 2, the cables descend, and pass under sheaves I40, thereupon risingagain to be anchored at the frame, as already described. As will be seenin Fig. 2, the open space previously mentioned between members 36 and 38on the top of the gantry, provides suitable operating room for thedescending cables which engage the cradle. Mount ed adjacent the cablesheaves and on the underside of the cradle are depending hooks I46,which may be rendered adjustable in any suitable manner to engage matinghooks I41 on a demountable body I50. This cradle I45, which isrectangular in shape, may be formed of suitable structural iron pieces,either welded or riveted together, to form a frame Work of sufficientstrength to retain spacing between the cables and to retain the hookedeyes in such position that they may cooperate with their mating hooks onthe demountable body.

It is apparent that by moving the sheaves I05, it becomes possible tomove one side of the rectangular cradle in one of the directionsindicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Thus, if the body I50 is not directlysuspended over the supports on the truck body I55, this slight lateralmovement or veaving will often be suflicient to effect such positioning,and thus avoid the necessity for repositioning the truck chassis.

The gantry crane, as shown in Fig. l, is considerably smaller than maybe employed. As heretofore mentioned, the height of the sides 20 may besufficiently increased to allow one body !50 to be raised above anadjacent body and moved thereover to be deposited on the other side ofthe latter. Such a change does not affect my invention. Further, the top2| may be sufliciently widened to provide more spacing between the sides20, making it possible to accommodate a variety of body supports beneaththe top of the gantry. These supports may include loading platforms orconveyances, such as trucks, railroad cars and even ships, as desired.

Means are provided to move the entire gantry crane along the tracks 24,on which it rides. On the underside of the bottom member 26 are journalsI50. These journals support shafts I6l, which, in turn, carry flangedwheels 25, engaging the track members 24. There are two of these wheels25 at each of the four corners of the gantry frame, four wheels to eachrail.

The two pairs of wheels adjacent one side of the frame are adapted to bedriven, one pair of wheels on each rail. Mounted on the members 25 overthe wheels is an electric motor I'Iil. This motor is connected to wormreduction gearing III, and this, in turn, to an intermediate gear I13.Gears E75 are mounted on the wheels 25 beneath and engage the gear H3.Thus, rotation of the motor I'lii drives the wheels 25 along the rail24, moving the gantry crane. Due to the drive through a worm. and itsmating pinion, a self-locking brake is provided as soon as the motor Iis cut out of the circuit to which it is connected.

Mounted over each of the two driving mechanisms are protective hoodsI80. This hood may be of any shape although I prefer to make it arcuate,with the ends closed. When placed over the mechanism, this hood rests onthe member 2 3 and is securely locked thereto by wing nuts I81, whichclamp angles 5 82 to underlying portions of the members 26.

It is desirable to furnish covers for the raising and weaving mechanismson the crane frame, to protect them from snow or water. These covers arehinged to the frame so as to be readily raisable, but when closed areadapted to make a tight connection with the frame. I find it mostsatisfactory to provide two covers 200 over the raising mechanism at oneside of the frame and three covers 21H over the different elements ofthe weaving mechanism at the other side of the frame. The covers at thetwo sides are similar, except as to length.

To give the covers sufficient stiffness without undue increase inweight, I prefer to make the body of them of corrugated sheet metal, thelength of the ridges and valleys of the corrugations extending in thedirection from the hinge to the free edge of the cover. Each cover isconnected to the crane frame by a piano hinge 203, One leaf of which isriveted to the cover body, the other leaf of which is bolted to the topof the upper flange of the corresponding frame cross beam 53. Secured tothe underside of the covers at their free edges are wooden strips 204,which are adapted to rest on top of the upper flange of the cross beams54 when the covers are in its active position. The wooden strips 204 areinterrupted in the proper region to allow the passage of the horizontalcable reaches 95, as shown in Figs. 4 and 9.

Each cover may be locked in closed position by means of wing nuts 205,which screw onto bolts mounted in the wooden strips and act againstclips 206, which may underhang the flange of the beams 54. The naturalincline on the underside of this flange causes the clips to pull down onthe cover as the nuts are turned into place to make a tight connection.

At their ends, the cover sheets are flanged downwardly to extend oversuitable upstanding frame flanges, as, for instance, the flanges of theangle bars 2I0 adjacent the sides of the crane frame or the flanges ofthe channel 2I I, where the ends of the two covers are adjacent, asshown in Figs. 10 and 11. I also provide fixed cover plates 2I5 over theframe supporting wheels and the gearing, these plates being slightlyinclined to shed water away from the piano hinges of the covers.

It will be seen that the bottom supporting plates which extend beneaththe raising mechanisms and their motor and the corresponding platebeneath the weaving motor, together with the frame beams and the topcovers, effect a substantial enclosure of such mechanisms. Thecomparatively slight horizontal openings beneath the covers, throughwhich the cables 95 pass, are small enough to be negligible and moreoverare not in the region of any of the motors.

It will be seen from the description given that I have provided aneffective out-of-door traveling crane or gantry in which the raisingmechanism, trolleying mechanism, and weaving mechanisms are alleffectively weather-protected. The raising mechanism is powerful and iseffectively carried adjacent the supports for the crane frame, so thatbending moments in the central region of the frame are avoided. Thisraising mechanism, as well as the trolleying and weaving mechanisms, areso devised that they require comparatively little head room, the depthof the whole mechanism being only slightly greater than that requiredfor the side beams of the requisite length. It should also be noticedthat when the power is cut off, all of the mechanisms are self-locking,avoiding the necessity for brakes.

Reference is made to my divisional applications No. 743,869, filedSeptember 13, 1934, and No. 744,214, filed September 15, 1934 for claimson the planetary driven drum and the gantry features respectively.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A crane of the class described, comprising a frame movable on abridge, said frame having rectangularly spaced sides with two members111-- termediate of two opposite sides, closely adjacent respectivesides and parallel therewith, cable actuating mechanism disposedhorizontally between one of said intermediate members and the adjacentparallel side, a. sheave disposed horizontally between the other of saidintermediate members and the side adjacent thereto, and a cable passingfrom the actuating mechanism over the sheave.

2. A crane of the class described, comprising a frame with downwardlyopen and upwardly closed housings extending along two opposite sides,winding mechanism in one of said housings, a sheave in the otherhousing, two cables leading from the winding mechanism, one of themdepending directly through the open bottom of the housing containing thewinding mechanism and the other leading over the sheave and through thebottom of the housing containing the sheave.

3. A crane of the class described, comprising a rectangular frame havingparallel horizontally spaced side members in pairs on opposite sides ofthe frame, two axially spaced drums and a driving means for said drumsin the horizontal plane of the side members and between the members ofone pair, two axially spaced sheaves between the other pair of membersand in the horizontal plane thereof, a cable depending beneath each ofsaid drums and a cable leading from each drum to one of said sheaves,passing over said sheaves and extending therebeneath.

4. A crane of the class described, with a movable rectangular framecomprising two sides and two ends, and having cables dependingtherefrom, with four intermediate members fastened to the ends andparallel with said sides, each of said sides forming with one of saidintermediate members supports for wheels whereby said frame is movable,each of said first-mentioned intermediate members cooperating with arespective one of the other intermediate members to form spacedsupports, and means carried by said supports by which said cables aremoved relative to said frame, said means being disposed in horizontalplanes between said spaced supports.

5. In a traveling crane, the combination of a frame, a drum mountedtherein, two cables on simultaneously, and means associated with the 5drum for continuously compacting the horizontal cable against previouslywound reaches thereof on the drum.

6. A crane of the class described, comprising a frame adapted to bemovably mounted on a bridge, said frame including a drum with two cablesthereon, one depending directly from said drum to support a load andbeing movable in a direction lengthwise of the drum as it unwindstherefrom, the other cable passing over a sheave and then dependingbelow said sheave to support the load, said sheave being shiftablelaterally parallel to the axis of the drum, and means for shifting thesheave to compensate for said movement of the first mentioned cable.

7. A crane of the class described, comprising a movable frame havingspaced parallel sides, two drums mounted in axial alignment adjacent oneside, each with two cables thereon, one cable on each drum dependingdirectly therefrom to support a load, the other cable on each drumextending to a respective sheave adjacent the opposite side of the frameand depending from the sheave to support the load, said sheaves beingmovable substantially parallel to the axes of the drums, and means toshift the sheaves simultaneously to compensate for shifting movement ofthe first mentioned depending cables as the same unwind from theirdrums.

BENJAMIN F. FITCH.

